[[Image:Zebulon Pike.jpg|thumb|right|200px]] Pike County is named for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulon_Pike Zebulon Pike] who was an early explorer of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase Louisiana purchase] and discovered the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak peak in Colorado ]which is named for him.

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[[Image:Zebulon Pike.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Zebulon Pike.jpg]] Pike County is named for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulon_Pike Zebulon Pike] who was an early explorer of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase Louisiana purchase] and discovered the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak peak in Colorado ]which is named for him.

*Many Maps for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the {{FHL|492654|subject-id|disp=topic details}} from their catalog.

*Many Maps for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the {{FHL|492654|subject-id|disp=topic details}} from their catalog.

A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Pike County on page 188.]

Church Records

Church records may give birth, death and marriage information as well as indictate family relationships. See Illinois state wiki article Church Records for more ideas about how to use church records in your research.

History of Pike County. Chicago: Chas. C. Chapman, 1880. Online free digital copy. Internet Archive.FHL Film 1000510 Item 2 Church history for each township is found beginning at page 405 in township histories.

Court Records

Many Guardianship records for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Local Histories

Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois: Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Presidents of the United States, and Governors of the State. Chicago: Biographical Pub. Co., 1891. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet ArchiveFHL film 825598

Many Maps for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Pike County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Pike County.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.

Many Naturalization and Citizenships for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Repositories

County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Pike County are kept, see the Pike County Courthouse page.

Family History Center

There are over 4500 Family History Centers in more than 80 countries offering public access to genealogical records from all over the world. Family History Centers provide patrons with access to over a billion online records and approximately 2.5 million circulating microfilms. Centers are staffed by local volunteers who are eager to provide genealogical research assistance. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Pike County. To find the nearest Family History Center, check out the Family Search Centers page on the FamilySearch.org website.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois. Western Illinois University houses the records for Pike County.

Taxation

Vital Records

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Pike County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.